West Bengal expands ISKCON-backed midday meals; 1 lakh students to benefit

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday said the coverage of improved-quality midday meals under the PM POSHAN scheme will be expanded to one lakh students from October 1, up from the current 45,000. In a post on X, Adhikari said the state was committed to ensuring "high-quality, balanced and nutritious food in a clean environment" for every student in government schools, with eliminating nutritional deficiencies among children a priority for the administration.

The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with Annamrita Foundation, an associate organisation of ISKCON, through centralised modern kitchens, he said. "From August 1, in the first phase of the project, centralised modern kitchens were entrusted with preparing and delivering nutritious meals to nearly 30,000 students across the state," Adhikari said.

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He said the organisation had demonstrated responsibility in preparing food through automated and hygienic processes, maintaining prescribed calorie and protein levels and ensuring timely delivery to schools. "Based on the initial success, the state government expanded the scope of the service to include another 15,000 students. As a result, a total of 45,000 students are currently benefiting from improved-quality midday meals," he said. From October 1, another phase of the programme will bring the number of beneficiaries to one lakh, Adhikari said, adding that the government had a "clear plan" to gradually extend the initiative to all students of every government and government-aided school in the state.

"The West Bengal government is always committed to eliminating hunger and malnutrition at the school level and building a strong foundation for the healthy body, sharp intellect and bright future of every child," he said. Adhikari also thanked the authorities of the Annamrita Foundation for providing the service efficiently while maintaining the "highest standards".

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The state government had announced in its first budget after the change of government that ISKCON would be entrusted with supplying midday meals to schools in Kolkata. It had said the initiative could subsequently be expanded to other parts of the state if the Kolkata model proved successful.

The programme began at select schools in Kolkata in August, with ISKCON operating a centralised kitchen to prepare and distribute meals. The initiative had subsequently drawn criticism over issues including delays in food delivery and the provision of vegetarian meals. The government later separately decided to provide eggs to students under the school meal programme, and the arrangement is currently in place.